Paul Stanley Says He Felt ‘Betrayed’ by Gene Simmons in the ’80s

Kiss frontman Paul Stanley says he felt "betrayed" when bandmate Gene Simmons diverted his attention from the group in favor of side projects such as film acting and record producing during the '80s.

In the April 2014 issue of Mojo, Stanley is very forthcoming, delivering gut-level answers on a variety of topics. Promoting his forthcoming autobiography, 'Face the Music: A Life Exposed,' he pulls no punches about Simmons, his partner-in-crime for the past 40 years and counting.

When talking about the state of the band during the '80s, Stanley said, "There was a lot of anger and resentment at everybody's lack of focus. But, ultimately I felt a sense of betrayal by Gene. The other people I could understand, but Gene was the person I depended on for ethics and commitments and as far as I was concerned he betrayed me and the band." Stanley goes on to say how Simmons went off making "questionable decisions involving questionable projects" and bluntly states, "His sense of entitlement was bulls--- and it was beyond annoying to me...It was such a slap in the face."

He also humorously recalled the first time meeting Simmons. "He was overbearing and very much enamored with himself, and I wasn't quite sure why." When asked if Gene has read his book, he replied, "No. I'm going to get him a copy," adding, "Everybody who has read it has said that I went easy on him. I believe that ultimately this book will make us closer." He does note that the two have never gotten on better than they do today.

The Starchild also talked about attending the High School Of Music with classmates Laura Nyro and Janis Ian, and in remembering the bands formative days, gives much due respect to Ace Frehley, saying, "the capper to it all was Ace. I have to say, that when he came in and the four of us played 'Deuce,' it had a sonic gravitas to it."